Shops and offices in Bihar will be allowed to operate for one extra hour from Wednesday and night curfew will be cut short by four hours in the second phase of unlocking in the state in view of improving Covid-19 situation, chief minister Nitish Kumar announced on Tuesday.
Kumar said the relaxations will remain in effect till June 22.
“For the next one week, office timings will be till 5 pm. However, all government and private offices will function with 50% of their strength,” the CM said. Offices were allowed to function till 4 pm during Unlock 1, which was announced last week on June 8 after 35 days of long lockdown in the state.
The lockdown was clamped on May 5 and was extended four times, the last being on June 2, to contain a record rise in Covid-19 infections in the state, which began in April and continued till May end, paralysing the healthcare system and resulting into deaths of hundreds of patients while the state struggled to augment number of beds, oxygen supply and essential medicines.
The CM said all shops will now be allowed to operate till 6 pm on alternate days and the night curfew will now be in force between 8 pm and 5 am. During unlock 1, shops were allowed to open from 6 am till 5 pm on alternate days and the night curfew was imposed from 5 pm till 6 am.
{{/usCountry}}The CM said all shops will now be allowed to operate till 6 pm on alternate days and the night curfew will now be in force between 8 pm and 5 am. During unlock 1, shops were allowed to open from 6 am till 5 pm on alternate days and the night curfew was imposed from 5 pm till 6 am.
{{/usCountry}}All education institutions and religious places along with malls, parks and gyms will however remain closed till further orders.